Thursday, November 24, 2011

The Blessing Of The Fleet -Happy Thanksgiving

Below is my turkey. I had to wake up at 4 am to put it into the smoker. The recipe involves apples, onions, pepper, season salt, garlic, butter and cola. I used throwback Pepsi because I didn't want HFCS and the throwback stuff has real sugar. You can also use the Mexican versions of coke etc. The recipe calls for pecan on the smoke and I have never smoked anything with pecan nor have I ever used a cola in a recipe. It smells great and is just about 2 or 3 hours away from being dinner.

Directions1. Preheat smoker to 225 to 250 degrees F (110 to 120 degrees C). 2. Rinse turkey under cold water, and pat dry. Rub the crushed garlic over the outside of the bird, and sprinkle with seasoned salt. Place in a disposable roasting pan. Fill turkey cavity with butter, cola, apple, onion, garlic powder, salt, and ground black pepper. Cover loosely with foil. 3. Smoke at 225 to 250 degrees F (110 to 120 degrees C) for 10 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F (80 degrees C) when measured in the thickest part of the thigh. Baste the bird every 1 to 2 hours with the juices from the bottom of the roasting pan.

We made gravy out of what was in the pan. It was fantastic. Pecan wood was also key to the flavor I wouldn't use anything else on a turkey after tasting this.

One more tip is don't put any salt on the inside of the bird if it has already been injected with a brine solution. In our case we always salt then soak and rinse the bird before doing anything with it. If either of these apply then don't add extra salt on the inside.